{"id":129314,"date":"2023-06-30T08:55:09","date_gmt":"2023-06-30T07:55:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.scifinow.co.uk\/?p=129314"},"modified":"2023-06-30T08:55:09","modified_gmt":"2023-06-30T07:55:09","slug":"annie-murphy-lana-condor-and-director-kirk-demicco-discuss-dreamworks-ruby-gillman-teenage-kraken","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.scifinow.co.uk\/cinema\/annie-murphy-lana-condor-and-director-kirk-demicco-discuss-dreamworks-ruby-gillman-teenage-kraken\/","title":{"rendered":"Annie Murphy, Lana Condor and director Kirk DeMicco discuss DreamWorks\u2019 Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kraken"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u201cThe movie is joyful and positive and full of so much talent,\u201d says Annie Murphy when we sit down with her to speak about her new movie, Dreamworks\u2019 <\/span>Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kraken<\/i><\/b>.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI read the script and loved it so much, but then to see it on the screen, it was so cool to see,\u201d the Schitts Creek star continues. \u201cI think people are really going to like it.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The story follows awkward 16-year-old Ruby Gillman (Lana Condor), who is desperate to fit in at her school, Oceanside High. The problem is: she\u2019s secretly a kraken and her and her family have moved to land to have a better life, as her mum (Toni Collette) tells her.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

But Ruby mostly just feels invisible. She\u2019s math-tutoring her skater-boy crush, who only seems to admire her for her fractals, and she\u2019s prevented from hanging out with the cool kids at the beach because her over-protective mum has forbade Ruby from ever getting in the water.<\/span><\/p>\n

Ruby\u2019s introverted nature is something that struck a chord with actor Lana Condor who plays her: \u201cWhen I was a teenager, I very much did not want to pull focus, I wanted to exist under the radar and fit in and not stand out,\u201d she reveals.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

However, when she breaks her mum\u2019s rule not to go into the water, Ruby is forced to stand out when she turns into a giant kraken! She quickly discovers that she is a direct descendant of the warrior Kraken queens and is destined to inherit the throne from her grandmother, the Warrior Queen of the Seven Seas (Jane Fonda).<\/span><\/p>\n

She also finds out that the Kraken are sworn to protect the oceans against the power-hungry mermaids but there\u2019s one major problem with that: The school\u2019s beautiful, popular new girl, Chelsea (Annie Murphy) just happens to be a mermaid and they\u2019ve formed a friendship.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"
Ruby and Chelsea have formed a friendship, though they’re supposed to be enemies.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Though she plays the confident, popular mermaid Chelsea, Murphy tells us she\u2019s more like shy Ruby: \u201cI loved playing Chelsea so much but the character that I identified with the most was Ruby,\u201d Murphy tells us. \u201cI think a lot of kids are going to be able to identify with Ruby because growing up is tough and feeling comfortable in your own skin all the time is tough.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAs the movie goes on, we realise that all of these things that Ruby viewed as flaws are actually really important parts of herself and her personality. She learns to love them and appreciate them and learn from them. I just love that message and I genuinely felt like there are going to be so many kids that see themselves in Ruby. Just like I did.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Indeed, with relatable characters, a fun storyline, a colourful palette and a banging soundtrack, <\/span>Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kraken<\/i><\/b> will most definitely appeal to young audiences, and that\u2019s something that the film\u2019s young star is looking forward to: \u201cI have a lot of younger nieces and a nephew and I am really excited for them to watch it!\u201d she tells us. \u201cDreamworks has been integral to my childhood, so I’m just so excited to be given the opportunity to be that for my nieces and my nephew. I just can’t wait to hear the reaction.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

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Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kraken will appeal to younger audiences.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kraken<\/i><\/b> is Dreamworks\u2019 44th movie and managing the helm is a Dreamworks alumni: director Kirk DeMicco, who also directed <\/span>The Croods<\/i><\/b>. This time, a lot of the action takes place in the sea and DeMicco tells us this was a good chance for him and the studio to really play and create a new underwater world: \u201cThat was a really a great opportunity and a challenge for all the artists at DreamWorks Animation,\u201d he nods. \u201cOur production designer Pierre Olivier Vincent, who designed all three <\/span>How to Train Your Dragon<\/i><\/b><\/a> movies is an expert in world building.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe other challenge was creating a kraken world that was bespoke for a movie about our first female title lead, Ruby Gillman, that was enticing and beautiful and aspirational.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Being the director of Dreamworks\u2019 first movie with a female lead, DeMicco has brought together an exceptional female cast, including Toni Collette and Jane Fonda, who play mother and daughter in the movie.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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Jane Fonda plays the Warrior Queen of the Seven Seas.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cIn talking to Toni and Jane, we connected with that mother\/daughter story,\u201d he tells us, \u201cand at the same time playing characters that had a place to go: a mum who has to understand that she might not be perfect, and the way forward is through communication. Or a grandmother who has been a fierce protector of the sea all her life against humans, and who has to let in the fact that maybe her teenage granddaughter <\/span>does<\/span><\/i> know something and I think that that’s really ripe for the moment.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

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The Warrior Queen needs to learn that her teenage granddaughter knows something she doesn’t.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

In fact, after focussing on a father and daughter relationship in <\/span>The Croods<\/i><\/b>, DeMicco tells us he was excited to delve into the female relationships in Ruby Gillman. \u201cThis is a mother\/daughter story and told in a hero’s journey,\u201d he tells us.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re taking an insecure high schooler on a superhero’s journey, and putting her through it was something that she needed to earn. We wanted to feel that she earned that power. This isn’t something that happened to her accidentally, this is who she truly is. This is about a moment in a girl’s life where she is not going to worry about just fitting in, but being exactly who she is, showing the world who she is and then belonging.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

To bring Ruby\u2019s story to life on the big screen, Condor tells us she\u2019d need to hype herself up in the recording booth. Not that she\u2019s a stranger to voiceover work, having starred in a number of animations, including <\/span>BoJack Horseman<\/i><\/b> and <\/span>Alita: Battle Angel<\/i><\/b>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI am someone that needs to charge by themselves before they get to work because once you get to work, especially in animation, you have to keep up your energy big time!\u201d she says. \u201cThe only way that I can keep up my energy is if I’ve basically charged by myself for like two days. Then I’m able to harness the energy and output the amount of energy that is needed when it comes to animation.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

And the secret to that energy? \u201cI drink copious amounts of matcha and sparkling water,\u201d she laughs. \u201cThe bubbles keep me awake and keep you perky!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"
Lana Condor brought a lot of energy (and sparkling water) into the recording booth.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Someone who is not as au fait with animation is Annie Murphy. \u201cThis was really my first proper voice gig and it is so different from TV and film acting,\u201d she tells us. \u201cIn TV and film acting you need to dial it down and be natural and grounded. With this, I went in, probably with food on my face, sweat pants, hair in a bun and immediately just gave it 177% and was over the top and weird and tried a whole bunch of stuff out. And instead of the director being like \u2018why did we hire her?\u2019, the director was: \u2018Can we do more? Let’s jack that up a bit\u201d,\u201d she laughs.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt was so much fun being able to be so ridiculous and so over the top in the sound booth. But it was also a really interesting experience because I still have not met the cast at all. We record all by ourselves. So I am so excited to meet all of these incredibly talented people. We haven’t crossed paths once. So I’m really looking forward to the premiere.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Murphy isn\u2019t the only one excited to finally her cast mates, though they play mother and daughter on screen, Condor is yet to meet Toni Collette which she says \u201cis wild because it works so well on the film!\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI’m a huge fan,\u201d Condor continues. \u201cI really do think that she is one of the best, if not the best, actors of our time. So if I am so lucky to meet her, I am going to scream with joy. I will be very starstruck.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

It seems being starstruck will be a recurring theme at that premier…<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI’ve thought about this already and already my armpits are starting to sweat a little bit,\u201d says Murphy when we ask her what it will be like to meet Jane Fonda. \u201cIcon gets overused, but I do genuinely think Jane Fonda is an absolute icon who has had such an exceptional career and seems to just keep crushing roles and with such joy.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

With a strong and supportive female cast, full of icons and future icons, it really is fitting that DeMicco wanted \u201cthis movie to be a message that girls shouldn’t shrink away. They don’t have to hide, they don’t have to be invisible – they can stand tall, they can embrace their power and be as strong as they want.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe opportunity to not just fit in but to truly belong by being yourself and being honest with the world was the message we wanted to share,\u201d he says.<\/span><\/p>\n

That sentiment is shared with Murphy: \u201cI want [audiences] to feel all of the warm fuzziness that the movie provides. I hope that they’re thinking about embracing themselves a little bit more than they did, and being kind and gentle with themselves a little bit more than they were.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI also hope that parents are thinking a little bit more about how important it is to love unconditionally and accept unconditionally your kid for who they are.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kraken is out in cinemas now<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

We find out what it was like to go into the recording booth for Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kraken plus how Annie Murphy and Lana Condor think they will react to meeting Toni Collette and Jane Fonda for the first time.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":52,"featured_media":129321,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"MSN_Categories":"Entertainment","MSN_Publish_Option":true,"MSN_Is_Local_News":false,"MSN_Is_AIAC_Included":"Empty","MSN_Location":"[]","MSN_Add_Feature_Img_On_Top_Of_Post":false,"MSN_Has_Custom_Author":false,"MSN_Custom_Author":"","MSN_Has_Custom_Canonical_Url":false,"MSN_Custom_Canonical_Url":""},"categories":[2615,7],"tags":[7619],"acf":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.scifinow.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/10E47_TP2_00002.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.scifinow.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/129314"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.scifinow.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.scifinow.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.scifinow.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/52"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.scifinow.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=129314"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.scifinow.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/129314\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":129323,"href":"https:\/\/www.scifinow.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/129314\/revisions\/129323"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.scifinow.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/129321"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.scifinow.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=129314"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.scifinow.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=129314"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.scifinow.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=129314"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}